The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for use in subterranean operations, and more specifically, compositions and methods for hydraulic fracturing and creating high porosity propped fractures in portions of subterranean formations.
Subterranean wells (such as hydrocarbon producing wells, water producing wells, and injection wells) are often stimulated by hydraulic fracturing treatments. In hydraulic fracturing treatments, a fracturing fluid is pumped into a portion of a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure such that the subterranean formation breaks down and one or more fractures are formed. Typically, particulate solids, such as graded sand, are suspended in a portion of the fracturing fluid and then deposited in the fractures. These particulate solids, or “proppant particulates,” serve to prevent the fractures from fully closing once the hydraulic fracturing pressure is released. By keeping the fracture from fully closing, the proppant particulates aid in forming conductive paths through which fluids may flow.
The proppant particulates used to prevent fractures from fully closing generally are particulate solids, such as sand, bauxite, ceramics, or nut hulls, which are deposited into fractures using traditional high proppant loading techniques. The proppant particulates and loading techniques suffer from an assortment of drawbacks that can limit the production potential of the well. The degree of success of a fracturing operation depends, at least in part, upon the resultant fracture porosity and conductivity once the fracturing operation is stopped and production is begun. Traditional fracturing operations place a large volume of proppant particulates into a fracture, and the porosity of the resultant packed, propped fracture is then at least partially related to the interconnected interstitial spaces between the abutting proppant particulates.
Certain fracturing operation involves placing a much reduced volume of proppant in a fracture to create a high porosity fracture. As referred to herein, a “high porosity fracture” refers to a fracture that exhibits a porosity of greater than about 40%, after the fracture has closed or applied a substantial mechanical stress. In such operations, the proppant particulates within the fracture may be widely spaced but they are still sufficient to hold the fracture open and allow for production. Such operations allow for increased fracture conductivity due, at least in part, to the fact that the produced fluids may flow around widely spaced proppant particulates rather than just through the relatively small interstitial spaces in a packed proppant bed. Thus, the effective placement and retention of proppant particulates within a fracture is often crucial to maintaining fluid flow in the stimulated region of the formation.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted and described and are defined by reference to example embodiments of the disclosure, such references do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this disclosure are examples only, and not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.